Windmill



(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet l. W. H. WHEELER.

WINDMILL.

Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

y WAN/M INVENTORY BY M v fi-w WITNESSES ATTORNEY/5 (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. H. WHEELER.

WINDMILL.

No. 335,864. Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

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7 1 M ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 5 She ets-Sheet 3;

W. H. WHEELER.

WI NDMILL. N0. 335,864

WITNESSES: INVENTOR E l? amwf, 2410M, w BY v X 40 m 4 ATTORNEYS 5 SheetS S het 4.

W. H. WHEELER.

WINDMILL.

Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

INVENTOR I wwzbmw BY v (9% h ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 5 Shets-Sheet 5 W. H. WHEELER.

. WINDMILL. No. 335,864. Patented Feb. 9, 1886.

WITNEZS SEIS INVENTOR llfnirnn dramas lit VIILLIAM H. \VHEELER, OF BELOIT, \VISCONSIN.

WINDMILL.

PIEifiIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 335,864, dated February 9, 1886.

* Application tiled April 3, 1885. Serial No. 161,156.

(No model.)

are accomplished by my improvements; but

I do not desire or intend to limit myself to geared mills, as my invention is equally applicable to other mills.

in all successful solid-wheel windmills it is necessary to have some means, first, whereby the wheel may automatically regulate itself to the variations of the wind, and, second, whereby the wheel may be thrown either wholly or partly out of the wind by an operator acting from below the mill-head support or turntable. In mills constructed prior to my in vention the means for accomplishing both these results have been located upon the millhead above the turn-table, and devices for throwing the wheel out of wind have been brought under control of the operator by a rope or chain which passes from such devices down past or through the turn-table and other supports of the milthead. This connecting rope or chain will, it is found, as the millhead is revolved by the changing direction of the wind in many cases, and especially in geared mills, become tangled with the turn-table or shaft or other parts of the mill, and the abovementioned devices will become inoperative.

It is the object of my invention to provide means for overcoming these difficulties, and for performing other new and useful functions connected therewith.

To this end the principle of my invention consists, primarily, in fastening the windwheel frame or support to one and the tailvane support to the other of two concentric tubes [,which are free to revolve the one within the other, or relative to each other, the lower ends of said tubes being extended below the supports upon which the mill-head rests, and

in approirriately connecting with these tubes,

at points below such supports, devices, first,

which act to automatically prevent the revolution of said tubes relative to each other, thus holding the wheel-face to the wind, and against the force of the wind to turn it out, and proportionate to such force, and, second, by which the tubes may be revolved relative to each other, thereby turning the wheel out of wind; secondly, in the means whereby the rotary motion of the wind wheel may be transmitted to a vertical shaft which revolves freely within the inner of the two tubes above mentioned; and, thirdly, in the various subcombinations, by which the performance of the main features of the invention may be aided.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a windmill provided with my improvements in their preferable form. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation showing an alternate form of my improve ments. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 5 is a detailed-view of the devices, preferably located at the foot of the tower, whereby the wind-wheel is held to the wind or thrown out of wind at will. Fig. 6 is an elevation of another form ofmy improvement. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 8 is a side view, and Fig. 9 a top View, of the forked lever and arms therein showmand here inafter fully described. Fig. 10 is a horizontal section on the line ain Fig. 3. horizontal section on the line yin Fig. 3. Fig. 12 is a detached view of the beveled gear and gear-segments herein described. Fig. 13 is a detached view of the collar connected therewith. Fig. 14 is a vertical section, and Fig. 15 a top view, of the devices for centering the vertical shaft. Fig. 16 is an elevation of the windmill-tower, near the base thereof.

Like letters represent similar parts in the several figures.

AA, 8m, represent the upright posts or supports of the windmill-tower.

B represents the mill-head or wheel-support, and C the shaft of the windwheel.

D represents the frame which supports the tail-vane of the windmill.

a represents a seat on the top of the tower, in whichthe mill-head is mounted.

E represents the vertical shaft of the windmill.

Upon the inner end of the wind wheel shaft Fig. 11 is a O is mounted the beveled gear c,which meshes with the beveled gear N. The gear I) is mounted upon ashortshaft, b,which revolvesin bearings b b on the upper part of the mill-head casting B. The lower end of the shaft 1) is provided with an angular recess, which receives the upper end of the shaft E, which is finished to fit therein. By this means the revolution of the shaft 1), communicated thereto from the wind-wheel shaft through the instrumentality of the gears c and b", is transmitted to the vertical shaft E. The shaft 1) could be omitted and the gear I) fixed directly to the shaft E below the gear a. This lastdescribed construction, I am aware, is not new, and Iconsider it an inferior construction to that first described, because the tendency of the gears so arranged is to draw the wheel out of the wind,while in the construction first described, (and which I consider new,) and with a wheel having its sails set in the usual way, there is no such tendency; but, on the contrary, Whatever force the gearing may have acts to hold the wheel to the wind, and this is the main object of such construction. I mention the second form because the other parts of my invention may be used as well with one form as the other, and I do not wish to be limited in the use of such other improvements to any one particular form of connection between the Wind-wheel shaft and the vertical shaft of the windmill.

Loosely surrounding the vertical shaft E is the tube G, and loosely surrounding the tube G. is the tube F, each tube being free to revolve independent of the other and of the shaft E.

In the preferable construction, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the frame D, which supports the tail-vane, is rigidly attached to the outer tube, F, and rests upon its lower side upon the seat a, while its upper side is pivoted to the mill-head B, which rests in turn upon the frame D, and is rigidly attached to the tube G. To the lower end preferably of the outer tube, F, is rigidly fastened the beveled gear 6, as shown. To the lower end of the inner tube, G, are pivoted the beveled gear-segments H H, which segments mesh with the gear 6. Rigidly fixed to these segments are arms h h,

.which are preferably bent, as shown in Fig.

12, so that their outer ends shall be in a line of a diameter of the shaft parallel to the plane of the segments. A collar, J, is loosely fitted upon the shaft E below the gear-segments H H, which collar is provided with a spherical upper end,j, and also with a strap, j, upon one side. A socket, is, having the ears k, partially surrounds the ball end of the collar, thus forming a ball-and-socket joint with the collar J. The rods K K connect the ears k 70 to the arms h h of the gear segments H H. The shaft E revolves freely within the collar J, so that said collar may be retained in a fixed position relative to the tower, while the ball-and-socket joint enables the gear segments to assume any position relative to said tower. A lever, L, passes through said strap j, and is pivoted to some appropriate part, Z, of the tower. The other end of the lever is attached to the rod M, which extends clownward,and is connected with appropriate mechanism, hereinafter described, within reach of the operator.

A movement upward of the collar J causes, through the instrumentality of the mechanism above described, a revolution of the gearsegments H H, which causes a revolution of the gear 6. This produces a revolution of the tubes F and G relative to eachpther and in a contrary direction, thereby causing a like revolution of the wheel-support B and tail-vane supportD; but as the vane always remains in the line of the wind it is in practical operation, the tube to which the wheel support B is attached, which revolves, thereby carrying the wheel out of wind to any desired extent.

The construction above described may be varied to a considerable extent while retain ing the same general principle of operation, and accomplishing the same results. For instance, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the wheelsupport may be attached to the outer tube, F.

In that case the tube G projects to within the mill head frame B, and is preferably surmounted by a rigid cap, 9. An arm, N, (shown most clearly in Fig. 11,) is rigidly attached to said cap at one end, and is fastened to the ear d upon the vane-support D at the other end. WVhen, now, the tubes are revolved relative to each other, the motion of the tube G is transmitted to vane-support D by said arm N, and thus the wheel-support and vane-support are caused to assume such relative positions as to throw the wheel out of the wind; or such a construction as is shown in Figs. 12, 13, 14, and 15 may be employed. wherein the gear 6 and gear-segments H H are dispensed with. To the lower ends of each of the tubes F and G are fastened the rigid arms 0 0, respectively, said arms having the pulleys -0 0 pivoted to their outer ends. A forked arm, I, is attachedto the socket k, and each branch of said forked arm is provided with the slots 1) p,within which the pulleys or wheels 0 o operate. When with this construction the collar J is moved upward, the wheels 0 0, moving in the slotsp 12, cause the arms 0 O to be brought into nearly the same vertical plane, thereby revolving the tubes F and G and throwing the wheel out of wind.

The mechanism hereinbefore mentioned for controlling movement of the collar J, and thereby the wheel and vane supports, is illustrated in detail in Fig. 5 and in combination in Fig. 15. A two-armed lever, B, is pivoted to a stationary part of the tower and to aplate, S, provided with perforations 5. To the upper arm, 9', of the lever B the rod M is attached, while to the lower arm, r, a weight, WV, is applied. This weight hangs nearly perpendicular when the wheel is full face to the wind, but moves in the are of a circle toward a horizontal position as the wheel is swung out of the wind, and thus forms a weight of varying resistance to control the position of the wheel, and enables the wheel to regulate itself in a varying wind. \Vhen it is desired to throw the wheel out of wind, the operator pushes upward upon the arm 1'. This movement is communicated by the rod M to the lever L, which moves the collar J, thereby throwing, as before explained, the wheel out of wind. A pin, 8, in one of the perforations sin the plate S, beneath one of the arms of the lever It, retains the parts in any desired position.

I am aware of the patents granted to Sholes and Kelly, October J, 1874, and of the patents granted to J'. S. Adams, August 2, 1881, and I do not desire to claim any invention therein shown; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a windmill, the combination of the wheel-support and vane-support with avertieal shaft,and means for transmitting the rotary motion of the wind-wheel thereto, and two concentric tubes attached, respectively, to said wheel-support and vanesupport, and surrounding said shaft, and means applied to said tubes below the mill-head supports for revolving said tubes relative to each other, for the purpose specified.

2. In a windmill, the combination, with the wheel-support and tail-vane support, and two concentric tubes rigidly attached thereto, respectively, of a beveled gear rigidly attached to one tube and gear-segments pivoted to the other tube,and means for revolving said gearsegments, for the purposes specified.

3. In a windmill, the combination of the wheel-support and vane-support with a vertical shaft, and means for transmitting the rotary motion of the wind-wheel thereto, two concentric tubes attached,respeetively,to said wheel support and vane support, a beveled gear attached to one tube and beveled gearsegments pivoted to the other tube, a loose collar surrounding said shaft,with a ball-andsocket joint on one end thereof, rods connecting said ball-and-socket joint with said segments, and means for imparting a vertical motion to said collar, for the purpose specified.

at. The combination of the wheel-support and vanesupport and two concentric tubes attached, respectively, thereto, with a weight of varying resistance connected with said tubes below the mill -head supports, for the purpose specified.

5. In a windmill, the combination, with the wheel-support, tail-vane support, and two concentric tubes attached, respectively, thereto, of a beveled gear attached to one tube, beveled gear-segments pivoted to the other tube, a verticallymoving collar having a balland-socketjoint on one end, rods connecting said segments and said ball-and-socket joint, a lever for imparting a vertical motion to said collar, a rod pivotally connected to said lever, and a two armed lever having a weight applied to its lower arm, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a windmill, the combination, with the wheel-support and vane-support, of two eoncentric tubes, one tube being rigidly attached to the wheel-support, and means for revolving said tubes relative to each other, and an arm attached to the other tube and to the vanesupport, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' XVILLIAM H. W'HEELER. Witnesses:

P. JoHNsoN, C. M. ALvERsoN, 

